Improvement in plate-racks



S. D. 81. F. H. JORDAN.

Plate-Banks. N0. 156,0 59. Patented Oct. 20,1874.

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.II I I I I I I I l IITl nd v ml III WZZ768996$I- Zwt" UNITED STATES PATENT came SCOTT D. JORDAN, OF CAPE ELIZABETH, AND FRANK H. JORDAN, OF PORT- LAND, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD THEIR RIGHT TO WINTHROP H. HALL,

OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLATE-RACKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,059, dated October 20, 1574 application filed July 27, 1874. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Scorr D. JORDAN, of Cape Elizabeth, and FRANK H. JORDAN, of Portland, both in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate-Racks; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side view, in section, of our invention, taken on the line an ac, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a cross-section, taken on the lineman, Fig. 1.

Same letters show like parts.

The object of our invention is to produce an improved portable plate-rack, and one that may be suspended against a wall, when desired, so as to hold the plates above the reach of cats, mice, 82c.

It consists of a back piece, to which are hinged a series of circular wire shelves, so constructed as to be unable to drop below a horizontal position, relative to the vertical back piece, and at the same time be capable of being turned upward against the said back piece and parallel with it.

Our invention is simple, and may be thus described: a shows the back piece, provided with an aperture, 1), in its upper end, in order that it may be suspended upon a nail or hook in the desired place. 0 a show longitudinal grooves cut in the back piece, of a depth sufficient to receive the bent portion of the wire forming the shelves, as will be hereinafter more fully described. at shows wires which pass through holes in the back piece a, across the slots 0 c, and through eyes in the wire shelf or support, thus holding it securely to the said back piece. The shelves are shown at c, and are formed of a single piece of wire bent into a circular shape and having its inner ends bent upward at right angles to the shelf itself, the said ends being provided with eyes or loops f, as shown in Fig. 1. When the ring-formed shelf is thus constructed, the two ends 9 h are taken in the hands and sprung toward each other until they can be passed into the grooves c c. The wire at is then driven through the holes in the back piece, by which operation it is made to pass through the eyes f, and thus holds the shelf secured to the back piece. The shelf is unable to fall lower than a horizontal position, relative to the vertical back piece a, by reason of the bent portion 2' of said shelf bearing against the solid part of the back piece, within the slot. This bent portion serves as a rest or support for the shelf, and thus makes it (the shelf) rigid when dropped into a horizontal position. These shelves are to be arranged one above another on the back piece, in any desired number, and, when not in use, are to be turned upward against the back piece and parallel with it, or nearly so, and thus occupy but comparatively little space.

The advantages of having a plate-rack thus constructed are, first,its simplicity, durability, and cheapness; second, the economy of space it occupies when not in use; and, third, its convenience in transportation, it being compact and occupying but little space, as above described.

We do not claim a plate-rack composed of a series of ring-formed shelves, rigidly at tached to a vertical back piece.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The wire shelves 0 6, each having its ends 9 and h bent at right angles at i t, as shown, in combination with the back piece a, provided with grooves c a, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

SCOTT D. JORDAN. FRANK H. JORDAN.

Witnesses.

. OHARLEs P. MArrocKs,

Ms. 0. JORDAN- 

